Czech tennis player Markéta Vondroušová in the 2nd round of the French Open, May 31, 2023.
Paris – Karolína Muchová is the only Czech tennis player to advance to the Roland Garros to the 3rd round. She defeated the Argentine Nadia Podoroska 6:3, 0:6 and 6:3 on the Paris clay. On the other hand, the finalist of the tournament from 2019, Markéta Vondroušová, failed, losing to the ninth seeded Russian Darja Kasatkinová 3:6, 4:6. In the doubles, Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková unexpectedly ended, losing at the grand slams after 24 matches.
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Photo gallery: French Open 2023 tennis tournament
The top seeded pair lost to the Norwegian-Japanese pair Ulrikke Eikeriová, Eri Hozumiová 6:3, 2:6, 2:6 and lost the chance to win their third joint title in the French capital.
Twenty-six-year-old Muchová followed up her win over world number eight Maria Sakkariová of Greece. Against the 103rd player in the world, she played 33 winning balls, Podoroská had 20 less. The Czech tennis player reached the 3rd round in Paris for the third time in a row, which is also her maximum. Her next opponent will be Irina-Camelia Begu from Romania and the 27th in the tournament. Muchová lost to her twice, the last time this year in Madrid.
“It's nice to be in the third round, but I certainly don't go to the Grand Slam thinking that I want to win the third round and that I'll be satisfied with that. I would definitely like to look further than the third round,” Muchová told journalists.
The Olomouc native entered the match with a lost serve, but immediately won four games in a row and won the first set in 42 minutes. The second set of Muchová did not work out, she made 16 unforced errors and for the first time at the Grand Slams she got the “canary”. The decision came at the end of the third set, when Muchová twice broke her opponent's serve from 3:3 and used the second match point.
“In the third set I had to add a little and I managed to return to what I played in the first set. I was more aggressive and went to the lines more. After I managed to break her, it broke. Maybe in her . When I confirmed it with the service game, I had already finished it,” added Muchová.
The twenty-three-year-old Vondrousová did not follow up her initial triumph over the American Alycia Parksová. In a duel with last year's Roland Garros semifinalist, she made 35 unforced errors and lost it in an hour and 44 minutes. She did not start in France last year due to an injured wrist.
“Maybe if I played with someone else, maybe it would work out. But I'm not seeded, so I have to wait for such a draw. I'm glad that I won the round and this match was also good. I won't collapse from it and I'll take good things away. Darja is one of the best on clay, and it's no coincidence that she played in the semifinals here last year,” said Vondroušová.
The native of Sokolov lost to Kasatkinová for the third time out of five mutual matches. At the beginning of the first set, she won a break, but did not confirm it and lost her serve once more in the eighth game. In the second set, Vondroušová equalized from 0:2, but Kasatkinová, for example, flashed a tweener, i.e., a strike between the legs, at 2:3. “You could see throughout the match that she believed in herself a lot. And this put the crown on it. Then she hit another ball for me and it went. I think it will be the hit of the day,” Vondroušová pointed out.
At 4 :3 The Czech missed two break points and Kasatkina won the remaining three in her favor. Vondroušová used only two of 12 break points.
Krejčíková and Siniaková's streak of 24 winning duels at Grand Slams ended and the Czechs lost their chance to win their eighth doubles trophy at these tournaments. The 27-year-old tennis players did not follow up on their triumph from the Australian Open in January. They committed 44 unforced errors, the opponents had 19. In Paris, Krejčíková and Siniaková won the trophy in 2018 and 2021. They did not start a year ago because Krejčíková tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Olympic champions from Tokyo failed to forget their singles failures in the French capital. Krejčíková was eliminated in Tuesday's 1st round against Ukrainian Lesja Curenková, Siniaková, returning from a wrist injury, was not enough against American Payton Stearns.
The Czech tennis players entered the match better and won the first set in 34 minutes thanks to two breaks. In the second set, however, they overcame a 0:3 loss and tied the opponents. In the end, Siniaková had her right leg treated. In the third set, the Czechs lost serve twice and did not win a single break. In the end, they saved two match points, but on the third, Siniaková sent the ball out.
Alcaraz lost the first set at Roland Garros, but is in the third round
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz from Spain lost a set in the 2nd round against Taro Daniel for the first time at this year's Roland Garros, but defeated the Japanese tennis player 6:1. 3:6, 6:1 and 6:2. On the other hand, world number two Aryna Sabalenková is in the 3rd round without losing a set. She defeated qualifier Iryna Šymanovičová 7:5, 6:2 in the Belarusian match on Paris clay today in an hour and a half.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz suffered a break in the second set, from which he quickly recovered. He dominated the sets won and lost only four games in total. “Taro is playing very well this year. It was difficult for me, also because of the wind,” Alcaraz pointed out to the gusts on Philippe Chartrier's main court. Last year's US Open winner, who is one of the main contenders for the title despite the absence of injured compatriot Rafael Nadal, will face Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the next round.
Stan Wawrinka, the champion of the tournament from 2015, did not win the second five-set duel in a row. The 38-year-old Swiss, who started in Paris for the 18th time, said an emotional farewell to the ovations of the fans after his defeat 6:3, 5:7, 3:6, 7:6, 3:6 against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The 25-year-old Sabalenkova advanced to the 3rd round of Roland Garros for the fourth year in a row, but she has never made it further. The native of Minsk has a chance to become the 29th world number one in the history of the WTA after the tournament, which she will achieve if she wins the title regardless of the results of last year's champion Iga Šwiateková from Poland.
Already in the second round of the tournament the greatest French hope, Caroline Garcia, unexpectedly said goodbye. After an almost three-hour battle, the top five of the tournament was defeated by Russia's Anna Blinkova, who won 4:6, 6:3, 7:5 after converting the ninth match point.
For a place in the round of 16, Blinkova will face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who continues her successful return to the Grand Slams after a one-year maternity break. Today, the former world No. 3 defeated the Australian Storm Hunter 2:6, 6:3, 6:1 and, together with the tournament in Strasbourg, she won her seventh match in a row.
French Open tennis tournament in Paris
French Open tennis tournament in Paris
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(clay, €49.6 million subsidy)
Men:
Singles – 2nd round:
Alcaraz (1-Sp.) – Daniel (Japan) 6:1, 3:6, 6:1, 6:2, Tsitsipas (5-Greece) – Carballés (Sp.) 6:3, 7:6 ( 7:4), 6:2, Khachanov (11-Rus.) – Albot (Mold.) 6:3, 6:4, 6:2, Norrie (14-Brit.) – Pouille (Fr.) 6:1 , 6:3, 6:3, Varillas (Peru) – Bautista (19-Sp.) 1:6, 4:6, 6:3, 6:1, 6:1, Ofner (Austria) – Korda (24 -USA) 6:3, 7:6 (7:1), 6:4, Shapovalov (26-Can.) – Arnaldi (It.) 6:2, 3:6, 6:3, 6:3, Davidovich (29-Sp.) – Van Assche (Fr.) 6:4, 6:3, 7:6 (8:6), Fognini (It.) – Kubler (Aust.) 6:4, 7:6 (7 :5), 6:2, Sonego (It.) – Humbert (Fr.) 6:4, 6:3, 7:6 (7:3), Schwartzman (Arg.) – Borges (Portugal) 7:6 (7:3), 6:4, 6:3, Kokkinakis (Aust.) – Wawrinka (Switzerland) 3:6, 7:5, 6:3, 6:7 (4:7), 6:3.
Women:
Singles – 2 . round:
Muchová (CZ) – Podoroská (Arg.) 6:3, 0:6, 6:3, Kasatkinová (9-Russia) – Vondroušová (CZ) 6:3, 6:4, Sabalenková ( 2-Belarus) – Šymanovičová (Belarus) 7:5, 6:2, Pegulaová (3-USA) – Giorgioová (It.) 6:2 scratch, Blinkova (Rus.) – Garciaová (5-Fr.) 4 :6, 6:3, 7:5, Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) – Samsonova (15-Russia) 4:6, 7:5, 7:5, Stearns (USA) – Ostapenko (17-Lot.) 6: 3, 1:6, 6:2, Putintseva (Kaz.) – Cheng Chin-wen (19-China) 6:3, 4:6, 6:2, Potapova (24-Russia) – Sharifova (Egy.) 3:6, 6:4, 6:1, Beguová (27-Romania) – Erraniová (It.) 6:3, 6:0, Mertensová (28-Belg.) – Osoriová (Col.) 6:3, 7:6 (7:3), Svitolina (Ukraine) – Hunter (Aust.) 2:6, 6:3, 6:1, Stephens (USA) – Gračova (Russia) 6:2, 6:1,
Doubles – 1st round:
Nosková, Chromačevová (Czech Republic/Rus.) – Panovová, Sizikova (Rus.) 6:4, 6: 4, Bouzková, Sorribesová (Czech Republic/Sp.) – Kuliková, Changová (USA) 3:6, 6:4, 6:2, Eikeriová, Hozumiová (Nor./Japan) – Krejčíková, Siniaková (1-CR) 3:6, 6:2, 6:2.
